So we are, in fact, getting a third Smurfs movie -- only this time without the presence of a real-world or humans. Yes, Smurfs 3 will be entirely animated, presumably so no locations need to be used or paying named actors.
Sony is fast-tracking its third “Smurfs” installment, which will be entirely animated (its predecessors were live action/animated hybrids). The second installment, released last July, did approximately $215 million less business worldwide than the 2011 original ($347.5 million vs. $563.7 million). Both leaned heavily on the foreign box office, which contributed more than 70% of each film’s global box office take.
Source: Variety

Despite the passing of comedic legend Harold Ramis, Sony and director Ivan Reitman still plan on moving forward with Ghostbusters III. It has now been revealed that the original trio of Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray were to only make cameo appearances to "pass the torch" to a new group of Ghostbusters.
The sequel's director, Ivan Reitman, is scheduled to meet with Sony production brass in the coming days to assess how to move forward on the project, which is in active development, according to sources. Ramis, Murray and Dan Aykroyd, who starred together in the 1984 original and its 1989 sequel, were poised to appear briefly in the third outing to set up a baton-passing to a trio of newcomers.
Perhaps all the "Bill Murray doesn't want to do GB3" talk was just a smoke-screen to mask Ramis' illness? If so, Murray, you've just moved up in my book, bud.

Amanda Seyfried has joined the cast of Ted 2 and will play John's (Mark Wahlberg) new love interest. Mila Kunis is still onboard, but word is that her role is much smaller this time around.

Seyfried is fresh off her other stint with Seth McFarlane in A Million Ways to Die in the West.
EXCLUSIVE: Amanda Seyfried is going to play the female lead in Ted 2, the Seth MacFarlane-directed sequel with Mark Wahlberg back as the centerpiece in the ongoing saga of a man and his foul-mouthed teddy bear. MacFarlane is still putting together the pieces for the Ted 2 sequel, but it looks like Mila Kunis will only appear in a tiny role, if at all, in the sequel. I’m told this has nothing to do with anything other than a creative decision that MacFarlane decided to take with the plotting of the sequel. He and Kunis remain close, I’m told, and she continues to provide the voice of Meg in MacFarlane’s Family Guy. MacFarlane is nearly done with post-production on his next film, A Million Ways To D…

A special R-rated cut of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is coming to theater for a special one week engagement. Director Adam McKay promised this would happen, and to my surprise, Paramount is following up on it. This new cut apparently has approximately 763 new jokes that will be spliced in. Yeah, that wasn't a typo -- 763.
The R-rated Anchorman 2 hits theaters Friday, February 28th!

The inner kid in me geeked out when I heard the news that a Space Jam 2 was in the works -- and then I shrieked a little bit when that news was accompanied with the news that Miami Heat star LeBron James would be playing the live-action lead. Maybe that's just because I'm an Indiana Pacers fan. Either way, Space Jam 2 is a definite go...so why not?
EXCLUSIVE: What’s up, doc? A broken nose. Ouch! After he recovers from the injury suffered in last night’s game, NBA MVP LeBron James will be ready for his close-up — with Bugs Bunny.

Broadcasting veteran Dick Ebersol‘s sons have come on board to develop the sequel to 1996 animated/live-action hit Space Jam as a starring vehicle for James, the studio confirmed.
So is LeBron ready to join forces with the Tune Squad and take on the Monstars?

Sony is busy putting together their sequel Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and have added five more names to the cast to join Kevin James and Molly Shannon (who is in final talks to join). David Henrie, Raini Rodriguez, Eduardo Verastegui, Nicholas Turturro and James' brother Gary Valentine have made the cut.
EXCLUSIVE: Sony is rounding up more familiar faces to join Kevin James in Sin City for Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. The sequel to 2009′s hit comedy will see Blart attending a security guard expo in Las Vegas with his daughter, where he’s mocked by casino security until he helps them take on a group of dangerous art thieves. In addition to SNL‘s Molly Shannon, who is in negotiations for a co-starring role, Wizards of Waverly Place‘s David Henrie, who appeared in Grown Ups 2, has been cast as Lane, a charming valet attendant whom Blart’s daughter Maya develops a crush on. Raini Rodriguez is in negotiations to reprise her role as Maya. Eduardo Verastegui (Bella) will play a Vegas hotelier w…

The Supernatural spinoff, Supernatural: Tribes, has its two leads in Lucien Laviscount (Episodes) and Nathaniel Buzolic (Vampire Diaries).
The spinoff — set to air as a planted episode on April 29 — is described as a sweeping drama about the various mafia-esque monster families that unknowingly to humans "run" the underbelly of Chicago and who are being tracked by a newly minted Hunter who is trying to stop them and rid Chicago of anything or anyone supernatural.
I'm not against spinoffs -- I mean, CSI: New York and CSI: Miami were both hugely successful, but remember, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior bombed terribly. But my gut instinct tells me this will be more like how Frasier was to Cheers...but I fear it'll have Joey results.

We knew an Indiana Jones 5 was on the long-list over at Disney...but has a stage already been booked?
There's one more thing too, and we went back to double check this point with our source. The planning office is listing which stages are booked in advance, and for what film. Listed on those plans - before Christmas at least - was Indiana Jones 5.

To address the Indiana Jones point specifically: work on that has been mooted as a possible job as part of those long-term contracts. It's very much being described as a "possible lead in to another Indy", but nothing more than that.

Just because space has been booked well in advance doesn't mean that the film will happen of course. Still, we've sat on this information since before Christmas, and it would at least tie into what Alan Horn of Disney said in December, that the next Indiana Jones film - to which Disney now holds full rights - is many years off. It would make sense to include it as part of a bulk LucasF…

A new trailer for 22 Jump Street has been released. We've already gotten a red and green band trailer which, of course, were the same trailer with the red having just a tad more vulgarity. And now, we get a new green band trailer of, you guessed it, the same trailer -- only this time it has an alternate ending!

There's been a lot of talk about Beetlejuice 2 lately, and rightfully so. The fans want a definitive answer whether or not Tim Burton and/or Michael Keaton are returning for the long-awaited sequel about the "ghost with the most". Although this isn't as official as a press release, it's the next big thing...the horse's mouth...
"I've e-mailed Tim a couple of times, talked to the writer a couple of times, but all really, really preliminary stuff," Keaton said. "I always said that's the one thing I'd like to do again, if I ever did anything again. But it kind of required Tim to be involved some way or another."

Though Burton is currently working on post-production on "Big Eyes," a biopic about artist Walter Keane featuring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, the normally busy auteur doesn't currently have anything scheduled past 2014. So will Burton come back, and possibly as director?

Well, this is...um...cool, I guess. SyFy's hugely successful Sharknado is getting a sequel, Sharknado 2: The Second One, and has added a pretty well-known cast -- including Vivica A. Fox, Mark McGrath and Andy Dick.

And it's ludicrous plot has been revealed.
SyFy today announced that Vivica A. Fox (what!?), Mark McGrath (Okay, fair enough, he’s hosting Entertainment News shows – this can’t be any worse), Kelly Osbourne (Money’s money, right?), Andy Dick (Will do anything for a free lunch), Judah Friedlander (*shrugs*), and Judd Hirsch (no, man, no!) have joined the cast of “Sharknado 2 : The Second One”, which is about to Steadicam itself into New York. The band of familiar shark-bait join “Sharknado” heroes Ian Ziering and Tara Reid, along with returning director Anthony Ferrante. Twitter is also rumoured to make a reprise.

In this one, a deadly storm hits New York City – bringing with it those hurtling monsters of the sea! Fin (Ziering) and April (Reid) are, of course, the…

The new Tarzan flick starring Alexander Skarsgard in the title role has finally been given a release date of July 1, 2016. The film is currently in pre-production.
After putting the brakes on their 3D live-action Tarzan pic last year, Warner Bros is charging ahead again with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgård set to play the loinclothed Edgar Rice Burroughs hero. The pic, now in preproduction, will open on July 1, 2016, the studio said today.
Source: Deadline

The teaser trailer for last year's shocking hit The Purge just hit the net a couple hours ago. And just judging by the teaser, it seems that most of our complaints about the first are addressed in the sequel -- elaborating on the idea and concept of the Purge. Color me intrigued.

The role of Kyle Reese in Terminator: Genesis has been narrowed down to two finalists: Jai Courtney and Boyd Holbrook.
EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures and Skydance are down to the wire on the final piece of iconic casting on Terminator: Genesis. I’m hearing that it’s between Jai Courtney and Boyd Holbrook to play Kyle Reese, the role originated by Michael Biehn in the James Cameron-directed original. Now, they could throw someone else into the mix, but it sounds like they are focused on these guys. The winner will join Arnold Schwarzenegger as the signature cyborg, Game Of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke as Sara Connor and Zero Dark Thirty’s Jason Clarke as her son John Connor in the time travel saga that will be directed by Thor: The Dark World helmer Alan Taylor. The film will be released July 1, 2015.
Source: Deadline

Just like the title suggests...or rather states...Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson have officially signed on for Pitch Perfect 2.
Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson have closed deals to reprise their roles for Pitch Perfect 2, Universal and Gold Circle's sequel to the 2012 musical comedy.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

A sequel to last year's surprise hit Now You See Me is on the fast track for a sequel. And it's set to begin production September 2014.
Shooting on the follow-up to last year’s sleeper hit Now You See Me will take place in the U.S., Europe, and Asia “to capitalize on the property’s international appeal, with most of the original cast returning, and some exciting new additions,” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer told analysts this morning in a call to discuss the company’s fiscal Q3 earnings. He added later that execs “absolutely see it as a franchise. We’re going to add some cast to it. We see it as an ongoing situation.” Execs pushed the theme of Lionsgate as an incubator for franchises; Feltheimer says the company has “an ability to assemble and mine the richest and most diverse portfolios of [intellectual property] in the industry.”
Source: Deadline

The Batman prequel series from Fox has landed its lead: Ben McKenzie of The O.C. and Southland fame is officially new (and younger) Jim Gordon in Gotham.
Fox's Batman prequel has found its star: Ben McKenzie.

'Southland's' Ben McKenzie to Star in CBS Drama From 'Mentalist' Boss
The Southland and The O.C. alum has been tapped to topline the network's Gotham, playing James Gordon, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Dennis Gansel is in talks to direct The Mechanic 2, a sequel to the 2011 remake starring Jason Statham -- who is confirmed to return.
German director Dennis Gansel (The Wave) is in talks to direct Mechanic 2, the sequel to the 2011 action thriller starring Jason Statham.

One of the country's hottest directors, Gansel has made a name for himself with slick mainstream genre films, including Nazi drama Before the Fall (2004), best-seller adaptation The Wave (2008) and, most recently, terrorist thriller The Fourth State (2012). He is probably best know for The Wave, an adaptation of the teen novel by Ron Jones, which grossed more than $20 million in Germany alone.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Stephanie Northrup, who made a name for herself by starring in a slew of low-budget horror movies, has moved on to bigger and better things. Although she star's in Cinemax's Banshee, she also has a role in the upcoming remake of Endless Love, where her character, Dawn, finds herself in some steamy situations. Head on over to Binge Watchers to check out the podcast now.Story submitted byJohn.

The long talked about Expendables spin-off The Expendabelles finally has a director. So, yeah...it's a real thing now. Robert Luketic will stand behind the lens and call the shots for this female romp.

Oh, and here's the official synopsis...
When America’s Navy SEALs are wiped out trying to penetrate the island lair of a deadly despot who has captured one of the world’s top nuclear scientists, it becomes clear that there is no such thing as the right man for the job and that this is a mission so impossible that only women can handle it. The only way in: some of the world’s deadliest female operatives must pose as high-class call-girls shipped in by private plane to satisfy a dictator–and instead save the scientist and the day.

In a world where seemingly everything is digital now, Jurassic World is staying true to its roots, shooting in 35mm and 65mm film. This essentially means there should be a few jaw-dropping IMAX scenes (hopefully).

Honored to be working with cinematographer John Schwartzman on Jurassic World, shooting this April on 35mm and 65mm film. @Kodak@Panavision
— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) February 6, 2014

In a recent interview with "Bug" over at AICN, famed horror director Wes Craven spoke openly about the possibility of returning to the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. He admits that he has not been pursued by anyone currently involved with the films, but states that if the script was good and/or if he could write it himself, then he would be be very much keen on a return. Oh, yeah -- and he definitely wants Robert Englund back as Freddy Krueger.
BUG: I have to ask, what would it take for you to do another ELM STREET movie?

WC: It’s funny. I fantasize about doing that. First of all it would take Warner Brothers to approach me, which they haven’t. I would only do it if the script they had or that I could come up with would be perfect. It would have to make artistic sense to me. I wouldn’t want to go out and do a remake or anything like that. I would use Robert Englund though.
So obviously it's not a done deal and NOTHING is set in stone, but just the simple idea of…

This is almost getting funny now. Even our current poll pokes a little fun at the notion of The Amazing Spider-Man 2's growing villain list. Director Marc Webb finally let the cat out of the bag as to which character B.J. Novak will be portraying. The answer: Alistair Smythe -- another baddie from the book of Spidey.

It's not quite freak-out time yet, as some of these characters may not be "bad" just yet.

SyFy tried to get cute with Sharknado, but it seems that the original Leprechaun director, Mark Jones, has another crazy idea up his sleeve: re-team with Warwick Davis for another film about a killer Leprechaun -- who gets bit by a vampire. This film would have nothing to do with the original Leprechaun films since they're going forward with a reboot without Warwick.

News of this craziness broke when the podcast Binge Watchers talked to Mark Jones about his current film, Scorned.

Our minds were racked to their very limit to come up with a mashup title that fit 2013. Sorry we failed! But we didn't fail to talk about in depth the best and worst of 2013 in film. This is our second longest podcast next to our Sunday Morning Cartoon Special. We hope you enjoy guys!